Airship



Feb. 14, 1939. R R sp ss 2,146,851

AIRSHIP v Filed Nov. 10, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. B. RESPESS Feb. 14, 1939.

AIRSHIP Filed Nov 10, 19:56

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 14, 1939. R. B. RESPESS 2,146,851

- AIRSHIP Filed Nov. 10, 1936 4 Shets-Shegt 3 INVENTOR ROLAND B. RKSPESS BY 1:; v

R. B. RESPESS Feb, 14, 1939.

Filgd Nov. 10, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4L INVENTOR ROLAND 6 RESPESS BY M w-(fi AT RN Y Patented Feb. 14, 1939 2,146,851 AIRSHIP Roland B. Respess,Wickford, R. I.

Application November 10, 1936, Serial No.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to airships and to the hull structure of airships.

There are two types of airships that have demonstrated commercial or military value. In the smaller airships, designated as blimps, the hull comprises a rubberized fabric cover, to which is attached a control cabin with engines for propulsion.

Such hull has no rigid strength, its form being maintained by the outward pressure of the lifting gas within the hull. Its flexibility, however, enables it to withstand stresses by immediate uniform. distribution to all sections of the hull. This characteristic was demonstrated with a non-rigid airship 550 feet long, the forward cabin of which struck the ground, while landing. The airship was distorted to a quarter-moon form, without injury to the hull. Similar accidents to the Akron and Macon destroyed those rigid type ships.

intermediate frames. The main ring frames are reinforced by cross wiring between the joints lending transverse rigidity to the hull structure and forming bulkheads between adjacent gas cells.

The intermediate ring frames are necessarily without transverse wiring which would interfere with the gas cells. These frames therefore have but little rigidit though they do assist the longitudinal girders to carry pressure loads and compressive forces resulting from the bending of the ship. The panels formed by the longitudinal and transverse frames are braced by shear wires. The frame elements are made up of thin sheets of aluminum alloy pressed to the shape required with portions of the sheets cut out to save weight.

There are serious faults in a structure of this character. It is not determinate and can be designed only from empirical formulae. Its strength therefore can not be calculated upon normal engineering principles. In this type of structure, the stresses necessarily reverse, causing fatigue and crystallization and creating hidden weaknesses impossible to discover and likely to cause disaster at any time. The actual safety of such airships is therefore an uncertain factor and the useful life in service is relatively brief. The multiplicity of parts required, the accuracy necessary in forming such parts and the labor of assembling the hull make this form of construction very expensive and in the end the result is a very fragile non-elastic frame structure which can be easily damaged and which when injured is expensive to repair.

One object of this invention is to construct a frame hull, for an airship which, in a desired degree, will be flexible and will uniformly distribute a stress on any portion of the hull toall portions of the hull, as partly illustrated in the pressure and to construct hulls for airships that are determinate and are based upon and can be designed materials to give the greatest strength for their weight; which will be elastic and struction, combinations and relations of parts are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification. i

scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic and broken side elevational view 'of a dirigible embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic stern View on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional detail as on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a broken detail of the central spar'or compression member of the hu Fig. 5 is a broken part sectional enlarged View of the spar and attached elements.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 are broken cross-sectional details as on the lines 6-6, 17 and 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlargement of the rim portion of one of the cross frames.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional detail of the same as on line Ill-10 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a broken plan of the parts appearing in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a broken sectional detail as on line l2-l2 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of a form of rim construction made up of hingedly connected elements.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged broken detailof the same.

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view on substantially the plane of line l5-l5 of Fig. 14.

The airship hulls of the present invention are designed on the principle of tension structures of the self-anchored suspension bridge type and consist primarily of a rigid compression member in the nature of a tube or spar extending centrally from bow to stern and attached to which are a number of transverse wheel-like frames, over which are laid longitudinal steel wires or connected with the opposite ends of the center spar. Thesewires or cables are of high strength suspension bridge steel, functioning in the nature of suspension bridge cable. Shear or torsion wires extend angularly between or over and connected with the frames and which may form connected or continuous spiral connections between the ends of the central tube and serve also in conjunction with the longitudinals to form a wire mesh shell structure.

This construction may be flexible to an extent not possible in the conventional rigid frame airship and be elasticto sustain without injury unusual stresses or sudden shocks, or it may be in higher tension and have greater inherent rigidity than the conventional rigid frame ships, if such rigidity is desired. All longitudinal and shear wires or cables are to be in substantially uniform tension and are adjusted to provide a hull of uniform rigidity or elasticity in service. The entire structure is subject to exact calculations based on standard engineering principles and has far greater strength per weight quota with greater safety and length of useful service, increased useful load and other advantages.

In order that the new form ofconstruction may be fully understood and distinguished from lighter than aircraft heretofore constructed, detailed reference will be had to the accompanying drawings.

In the general assembly view, Fig. 1, the central substantially rigid spar is indicated at 15, extending practically the full length of the ship and having attached to it in spaced relation the transverse wheel-like frames l6. Over these frames are laid the longitudinal extending tension wires or cables ll, connected with the opposite ends of the center spar.

These longitudinal tension elements are flexibly connected with the frames over which they pass and a further special feature is that they are pref erably flexibly held and braced by strips l8, of suitable fabric, interlaced over and under the same as indicated in a somewhat enlarged scale in Fig. 1. These fabric strips oppose vibration and provide a definite skin effect for support of the outer fabric cover l9. This strip fabric also may hold the wires as in fabric sleeves and thus hold in place any wire or cable that might break and which otherwise .might injure the cover or gas bags.

Also connecting the frames as by extending over or connected between them are thereversely inclined shear or torsion wires or cables 20, forming the effect of or continuous reverse spiral tencables sion elements extending full length of the ship connected to the transverse frames and anchored at opposite ends of the center spar.

The spar is designed and constructed for the compression loads which it is to carry. In a preferred form, it is made of assembled tubular lengths of aluminum alloy joined by welding or otherwise in end-to-end relation, reinforced as required and equipped with suitable anchorages for the various wires or cables. In Fig. 5 in particular, the tubular sections are indicated at 2|, joined end-to-end by welding or otherwise, by means of interposed annular connecting plates 22. These are shown as braced and further secured to the spar sections by welded or otherwise fastened quadrant angles 23.

Further bracing and securing is effected in this particular illustration by the longitudinally extending angles 24, arranged in pairs back-toba'ck and extending continuously between some or all of the joint plates 22, being welded or otherwise fastened at their bases to the spar sections and at their ends to the annular plates 22. preferably, these longitudinal angles may be Welded or otherwise fastened back-to-back.

Between the connecting plates 22, the spar sections may be internally reinforced as by diaphragm angles 25 welded or otherwise fastened in place.

Annular end plates 26, 21, are shown welded or otherwise secured to the bow and stern sections of the tube, braced by the angles 28.

This spar construction is particularly light for its strength and is sufficiently rigid for the purposes intended. ing is accomplished without adding unduly to the weight or cross-sectional dimensions and in par ticular, the main portion of the interior is left open and unobstructed for utilization as a conduit for control and communication wires, cables, piping and other necessary connections.

As a matter of further lightening the spar structure or affording access to the interior as for inspection and other purposes, the tube sections are indicated as having reinforced handholes 29, spaced at desirable distances apart and provided, if desired, with suitable covers.

The spar section connecting plates 22 may be utilized as anchorages for the transverse frames and for such purposes may be extended to the outside as shown particularly in Fig. '7 and at the left in Fig. 5, and perforated at 30, to take the end fastenings 31, of the turnbuckle mountings 32, for the frames.

The anchorages for the longitudinal and diagonal cable ends are shown in Figs. 5 and 6 as lugs 33, integral with, welded, or otherwise attached to the end or near the end spar sections and perforated to take the end connections 34, of the cable turnbuckles 35. These anchorages are indicated in these views as braced and reinforced by the angles 36, at opposite sides of the same and in Fig. 6 such angles are shown as abutting and substantially fcompletely filling the spaces between the anchorage lugs.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the transverse frames [5 may be wheel-like in character with rim portions for supporting the longitudinally and/or diagonal extending cables, and for wire or cable spokes 31, connected at the center with hubs formed by the projecting perforated flanges of the annular connecting plates 22.

Details of the rim structure of these wheel-like frames are sho: n particularly in Figs. 9 to 12. In these views, the rims are illustrated as made The internal and external bracup of the generally parallel outer and inner substantially semi-circular trough sections 38, 39, connected in opposed spaced relation by radial and inclined trusses 40, 4|. These trusses are shown as made up of flat perforated plates flanged at their edges at 42, and secured by welding or otherwise in the back-to-back relation indicated.

The radial spoke wires or cables 31 are shown attached by thimbles 43, to hanger straps 44, welded or otherwise secured to the inner rim members 39, either directly or through the medium of the trough-shaped reinforcements 45, about the same.

The outer rim members 38 are shown as having reinforcements or saddles 46, about the same, forming bearers for the longitudinal wires or cables 11. These may be welded or partly or entirely held by the shear wire anchorage bolts 41, extending through the same and across the trough of the member 38. The nuts 48 at the outer ends of these bolts are shown as eyeleted to take the ends of the shear wires or cables 20. If desired, however, the shear wires may be connected with the wheel frames in the manner employed for connecting the longitudinalwires in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11.

The longitudinal tension wires or cables are connected to the frames in a manner to permit necessary flexure of these wires or cables without injury to any parts. In the illustration, this is accomplished by using tie wires 49, laid along opposite sides of the longitudinals and extending in a continuous loop about the caps 46 and 45 of the outer and inner rim members. The opposite ends of these tie-wires are suitably secured to the longitudinals as by serving and soldering as indicated at 50. In Fig. 10, one of these tie wires is indicated as having the right hand end of the same secured to the longitudinal wire 11 and as extending from such secured point parallel with the longitudinal, down over and about the left hand side of the rim and thence about the lower cap 45, and upwardly over the right hand side of the upper cap 45, to the far side of the longitudinal, where the left hand end is there secured at 50. This provides a simple rolling connection between the longitudinal wire and frame, accomplished without any bending or distortion or straining of either. The side portions of the tiewire are indicated as caught to the sides of the radial trusses by clip bolts 5!. This is mainly to take up any looseness and prevent possible vibration of these tie-wires.

The rim portions of the wheel frames, if desired, may be made up in hingedly connected sections as illustrated in Figs. 13, 14, 15, where the sections of the outer and inner ring members are designated 38a, 39a, connected by radial elements 4ila 4fla. Adjoining sections are connected at the outside diameter of the wheel by pivots 55. The radial stays or spoke elements 31, are shown connected with the inner ends of the radial frame members 49a by bridles 56. Diagonal tension elements 51 are shown laced back and forthacross the studs 58, at the outer diameter in line with or part of the hinge pins 55, and beneath studs 59, at the inner ends of the radial members 40a. These tension wires or cables form flexible trusswork stiffening the sectional rim, but permit certain yielding movement of the hinged wheel sections that may be subjected to undue strain or pressure. These diagonal truss elements also have the tendency to return any displaced sections of the rim back to proper normal position as soon as the strain or pressure is relieved. To limit the form a close union of movement of the hinged rim sections, stop pins 60, are shown embraced by loose motion limiting link 6|. This construction prevents such collapsing movement as might permanently displace the ring sections and in case of extreme pressure, forms a connection for transmitting strain from the disturbed set of rim sections to adjoining rim sections.

The wire or cable tension members 51, illustrated in Fig. 13, Fig. 14 and Fig. 15, may be employed, in the manner described, to add flexible reinforcement to the rigid rim sections in Figs. 9 and 10, constituting a wire braced truss to secure greatest strength with a minimum of weight.

In order to co-ordinate the elements that have been described and illustrated in the disclosure, the radial wires connecting the rim of the frames with the central spar, in each frame are preferably all of the same length and set at the same tension. The predetermined tension of the radial wires of each frame, excepting the end frames, shall preferably provide a uniform elasticity of movement for the rims of the frames inwardly, thus providing that a pressure on one frame may be uniformly received upon the two immediately adjacent frames and thus may extend the load on any transverse frame to all the transverse frames.

Following the same principle, all the longitudinal wires or cables and all the shear wires or cables should be in uniform tension with each other and thus a load on any cable may, through its connection with the transverse frames, be uniformly distributed to all longitudinal and shear wires and cables. Thus the rigidity or flexibility of the frame may be predetermined by the total initial tension of the surface tension members, received on the ends'of the central spar compression member. The total compression force on the central spar may not be increased or reduced by operation of the airship.

An airship constructed upon this frame would have a fabric cover preferably coated and smoothed by passing between pressure rolls. The coated fabric is cut in tapered strips that are sewed together to former snug fitting envelope. Pieces of fabric tape may be sewed to the seams of the cover and when it is placed on the frame it is stretched smooth and the tape is tied to the longitudinal wires of the hull. In this manner the inter-laced narrow fabric, 18 in Fig. 1, the cover and the longitudinal wires of the frame surface protection that is If desired a metal covthe nose, the tail or on the airship where flexibility is inward buckling strong and flexible.

ering may be used for control section of the not required.

The airship hull constructed as described, comprises a structure in which all the stresses, both static and aerodynamic, are received upon tension wires of elastic steel cables and composed of fine drawn wire of very high strength. Such cables may be galvanized or otherwise protected against rusting or other deteriorating influences. These cables need not be affected by length of service and, in fact, may be improved with service as has been demonstrated in the Brooklyn Bridge, from which samples of the cable wires have been taken, after sixty years service, which show the steel wire not only as good as when first installed, but actually improved.

The hull, so constructed, damaged or destroyed under such as being caught in the center of a cyclonic storm (which should be easily avoided), or by might be seriously extreme conditions,

striking the ground or a heavy building at high speed. Conditions such as wrecked the airships Akron and Macon might result in some damage, but should not wreck an airship of the present design.

It has been demonstrated, in actual service, that the hull of an airship may exert an aerodynamic lift, similar to that of an airplane wing. Such lift is efiective when the airship is in motion, either in movement along the ground or in the air. It has been demonstrated, with a large blimp, having wheels underneath its control cabin, that with a short run along the ground, the aerodynamic uplift of the hull will provide the lift for sixteen percent overload. If preferred, such overload may be taken on from airplanes, hooking on underneath the airship, when the airship is in flight. The practicability of such hookon, even taking the airplane within the airship, has been fully demonstrated in the In the construction of the present airship hull, fixed or retractible wheels may be attached to the hull, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, where a single steerable wheel 65, under the stern, aids as a rudder for controlling direction of movements along the ground, pairs of wheels 5,6, provide support for the amidship portion and single wheels 61, 68 provide protection for the forward end in landing. These wheels would enable the airship to run along an airfield and lift a greater load than enabled by its gas content.

Still another feature is practical with use of the present construction. It is now generally accepted that tail control for airships may notbe preferred to forward controls in connection with stern or tail control. Recent experiments have shown forward controls are advantageous. Such forward control may be obtained by constructing additional fins forward or along the sides of the present airship.

This invention contemplates the installation of such additional control surfaces, if desired, and further contemplates that the engines along the sides of the airship may be installed in stub wings, such as indicated at 59. These stub wings may be capable of lifting the Wei ht of the engines. Flap controls iii on these wings, may be employed, as indicated. If desired, the engines may be installed to be tilted slightly upward or downward, thus to assist in the control of the airship. With stub wings, the engines may be installed at the tail, and these engines may be installed to be tilted up or down and sideways, thus to act in the nature of a power rudder.

The longitudinal compression member may be considered as a central spar and has been so termed. The diagonal shear wires may be extended continuously from end-.to-end in the same manner as the longitudinal wires or cables. Many other variations fall withinthe true scope of the invention. The claims therefore should be so construed, the words and phrases employed herein being used primarily in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense.

What is im d 1. dirigible, comprising in combination, a central spar, transverse frame sections connected in spaced relation on said central spar, longitudinal tension elements connected with opposite end portions of the spar and extending over said transverse frames, tie members securing said longitudinal tension elements in rolling engagement with said transverse frames and including tie wires extending about portions of said transverse frames and having the opposite ends of the same secured to said tension elements.

2 A dirigible comprising a central spar, transverse frames in spaced relation on said central spar and having rims made up of radially spaced inner and outer ring members, longitudinally extending tension elements bearing on the outer ring members and tie wires extending around said outer and inner members and secured at their opposite ends to said longitudinally extending n io el m nt 3. A dirigible, comprising transverse frames having inwardly yielding hingedly connected rim sections, diagonal tension members hingedly connected rim sections in outstanding relation and tie connections between adjacent hinged rim sections for limiting the inward hing:

ing movement of the same.

bracing said 4. In a dirigible, transverse frames having inwardly yielding hingediy connected sections, radial tension members connected with adjoining hinged sections and ties between adjoining sections for limiting inward hinging movement of the same. i

5. In a dirigible, transverse frames having inwardly yielding hingedly connected sections, ra-

dial tension members connected with adjoining hinged sections, ties between adjoining sections for limiting inward hinging movement of the same and tension elements laced in back and forth diagonal relation about the hinged rim portions of said frames.

6. In a dirigible, a longitudinal spar, transverse frames in spaced relation on said spar, longitudinal tension elements connected with'opposite end portions of said spar and extending over the intermediate frames, diagonal connections between said frames and fabric material interlaced with said connecting elements and holding the same against displacement.

ROLAND B. RESPESS. 

